Ladies and gentlemen, I returned to this year in a time machine. In the year 2500, we are able to travel through time to any year in the history of the earth. This year is your last chance your lifestyle to save the earth.

    Beginning in the middle of the 20th century, a few people were worried about polluting the earth's water and air, but most people did not change their way of life. Instead, they continued to pour(倒) dangerous chemical(化学物品) and other waste into lakes and seas, to drive more and more cars and trucks, and to cut down trees.

By the year 2200, the earth's water was completely polluted. People could no longer drink water, and they had to use other types of liquids(液体). Scientists said that in the future there might be too many people on the earth. But not enough was done.

So by the year 2300, there were so many people that food became scarce. There was no water to grow food and all of the fish in lakes and seas died because of pollution. Terrible wars broke out between the rich and the poor. Scientists were working very hard to find another planet in space where humans could live.

By the year 2400, the air was too polluted for humans to breathe. So we had to leave the earth. But only the rich were able to leave. Where did we go? Nowhere. And everywhere. You see scientists did not find another safe planet, so now we must travel around the universe in our space ships. We are still looking for a place to call our home.

    So it is up to you to change history. There is still hope. You must change your lifestyle now, before it is too late.

    According to a new study, cats may be just as smart as dogs. Both cats and dogs may have episodic memory（情景记忆）, similar to that of human beings.

    The discovery shows that cats can recall memories of positive experiences like eating a delicious snack. The study was a test of episodic memory. Episodic memory means memory of past experiences that happened at a special time and place.

    In the test, cats were led to four open bowls of food. They were allowed to eat from two of them. After fifteen minutes, empty bowls took the place of the old ones. Then the same cats returned to look for food again. They spent more time searching for the old bowls.

    It seemed that the cats were able to remember the information of “what” and “where” about the bowls. This discovery suggests that they may have episodic memory. However, it's still not clear whether cats can truly experience past memories in the same way as human beings do. “It's difficult to know whether the cats can subjectively（主观地）remember the experience,” Nick Diamond, a researcher at the University of Toronto, explained.

    Still, the test plays an important role in the development of memory research in animals. “It opens the door to new studies. How long can cats' memories last? We may do some research on this in the future,” Professor Laurie Santos from Yale University told BBC News.

    The road to new discoveries is long and difficult. Though there are lots of problems to be solved and discussed along the way, such studies do lead us a step closer to the final success.

    Have you ever stood beside the ocean and stared at the waves (波浪)? The way they move is changing! Nothing is more peaceful than watching the movement of water.

    Every ocean has waves. Unless you are lucky enough to live by the sea, though, you probably can't watch the waves very often. How would you like to have your own wave machine? Making one is easy and a lot of fun.

    Now that you have made your ocean, put your bottle on its side. Wait a minute. The water win be on the bottom. The oil and paint thinner mixture will be on the top. Now tip (倾斜) the bottle back and forth (反复来回) and watch the waves.

    Many animals hide to stay alive. They hide in many ways. Some animals hide in leaves; some animals hide in snow. Usually their colors or shapes help protect them. It's hard to see an Arctic bear in snow. Its white fur helps protect it. Chameleons(变色龙) can hide by changing colors. Their skin turns the same color as what is around them. Some chameleons can change colors in five minutes.

    Many animals try to look bigger than they are to stay alive. Some animals can make other animals think they are very big. If they look very big, animals that are looking for food will run away. Bears can walk on two legs. They look very, very scary. Some animals will run away from them.

    Many animals try to stay around other animals. This helps them stay alive. Zebras stay close together so that they can help each other look out of danger. Seeing many stripes at once can also confuse animals that want to eat them. Some birds stay in a circle, each toward a different direction. In this way they can also help each other stay alive by looking around for animals that many want to eat one of them.

Are You Right Handed or Left Handed?

    Which hand do you use when write? About 8 to 15 percent of people are left handed. They often have to use tools that are designed for right-handed people. So it is difficult for left-handers to use most tools. If you are right handed, try this experiment: Take a knife with your left hand and try cutting a potato into pieces. Don't be surprised if you feel awkward（别扭的）.

    In the past, people thought it was strange to use the left hand. Young students looked down upon their left-handed classmates. Some children were even punished for using their left hand to write. But these days parents and teachers have accepted that. In almost every school in the world, left-handed students can use their left hand to write.

    What causes people to be left handed or right handed? Experts have searched long and hard on this. They concluded（得出结论） that left-handed people are left handed for the same reason that right-handed people are right handed. One out of every ten people just is a left-hander. It's simply like the color of our eyes—some people have brown eyes, while some others have black eyes.

    However, many researchers think that left-handers and right-handers are different in some aspects. Right-handers are more talkative and outgoing than left-handers. Many right-handed people understand spoken words better. For example, after they listen to directions to a supermarket, they can find it easily. Right-handers are good at organizing people, too. They are also better basketball guards. Just ask Yao Ming.

    Research shows that left-handers are creative and artistic. Many famous performers, like Jim Carrey and Paul McCartney, are left handed. Many left-handers learn better visually（在视觉方面）. In art, both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were left handed. In science, you find Newton and Einstein. The left-handed people are also really good at tennis and other single sports.

    If you prefer one hand, but you are still good at writing with the other, you are mixed handed. Research shows mixed-handers can remember everyday things better than other people. What did you eat for lunch two weeks ago? If you're mixed handed, you can probably remember.